Mission Statement
The Purpose of the Racial Justice Mission Group is to awaken the NH Conference to issues of racial justice and equality within our churches, state, and country. We are called to be:
- LEARNERS in a community of mutual accountability studying the impact white privilege and the history of slavery has on racism;
- INTERRUPTERS of the continued cycle of racism; and
- ALLIES with People of Color in challenging race-based injustice in the areas of criminal justice, environmental degradation, economic deprivation, and exclusion from full participation in our communities of faith.
Portsmouth Listens - Community Conversation on Equality and Inclusion
November 7 - Portsmouth Middle School Cafeteria - 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
November 14 & 21 - Portsmouth High School Little Theater - 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Learning & Planning:
At our monthly meeting at the Conference Center, the agenda always includes learning, as well as, planning action steps. We organized almost 3 years ago and welcome new members. Those interested should contact Dawn Berry, email dcbnh@comcast.net.
Resolutions:
The Racial Justice Mission Group (RJMG) brought a resolution before the gathered body of the New Hampshire Conference United Church of Christ at their 2018 Annual Meeting. The resolution was a call to the churches of the New Hampshire Conference to take action in undoing racism, including both individual acts of racial bigotry and systemic racism.
As proposed, the Resolution of Christian Witness in Support of New Hampshire Conference United Church of Christ Congregations Awakening to Racial Justice, was adopted by the gathered body at Annual Meeting, on October 20, 2018.
To help churches "live in" to this resolution the RJMG developed a document on the Process of Becoming a Racial Justice Church for the October 2019 Annual Meeting.
Not to be missed:
- How to be an interrupter - A white person's guide to activism
By Aaryn Belter (From San Diego City Beat, July 20, 2015) - Purchase at the Conference office a copy of the new One Conference: One Book initiative entitled “Color Me Included” by Rev.Deborah Knowlton. Deb wrote this book after researching the African Americans of Hampton’s First Church and its descendant Parishes between 1670 and 1826. (#20) Also available is a new book published by the National Council of Churches, “United Against Racism”. ($10)
- The National office of the UCC has an excellent curriculum – Sacred Conversations to End Racism. Go to UCC.org and click on “Sacred Conversations.”
Past Trainings:
- The Racial Justice Mission Group has lead workshops at the annual Prepared to Serve. Workshop titles include: White Privilege, Implicit Bias, Racial Reparations, Beyond White Supremacy, Building the Beloved Community, and the History of African American Spirituals.
- We hosted a One Conference: One Book initiative in which 33 UCC congregations engaged in the study of white privilege using our discussion guide and the book Waking Up White by Debby Irving. In follow up, we facilitated a workshop on White Privilege at the 2017 Annual Meeting.
- The Racial Justice Ministry Group members and colleagues from around the state were inspired and energized at our pre-Annual Meeting 2017 full day workshop with Keynote Speaker Bishop Dwayne Royster. He engaged and challenged us to articulate what racial justice might look like in NH!
- In the spring of 2018 at the New England women’s conference Celebration X: A Place at the Table with Rev. Traci Blackmon as keynote, members presented 2 workshops (White Privilege and Dismantling Racism) and Rev. Rene Rouse was a keynote presenter.
- Also in the spring 2018, the Racial Justice Mission Group, along with the NH Conference Clergy Support Ministry, sponsored Clergy Day 2018 featuring “Preaching Beyond Black History Month” with keynote speaker and facilitator Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson.
Members of the Group: Dawn Berry, John Gregory-Davis, Maggie Fogarty, Eric Jackson, Barry Jacobson, Gail Kinney, Ethel McConaghy, Kira Morehouse, Kate Rogers, Renee Rouse, and Janet Zeller.
Download a flyer with this information.